The present invention relates to covers for the cargo bed of a pick up truck, and, more particularly, to flexible tonneau covers that are removable from the cargo bed of the pick up truck.
A wide variety of covers for the cargo bed of a pick up truck are presently known. In general, such covers are known as either “caps” or “tonneau covers,” the caps typically being an enclosure that extends substantially above the bed so as to increase the height of the cargo bed and the tonneau covers typically being a covering the lies substantially flush with the top walls of the cargo bed without significantly increasing the height of the cargo bed. Tonneau covers are generally of two types, hard top and soft top, meaning that the material covering the bed is either rigid, as with metal, fiberglass or the like, or that the material is flexible, as with canvas, vinyl, or a weather resistant fabric.
Tonneau covers provide protection for cargo carried in the bed of the pick up truck from adverse weather, such as rain, snow, wind, etc., and also from theft, vandalism, etc. Tonneau covers can also improve fuel efficiency of the pick up truck by reducing the drag on the vehicle caused by the configuration of the cargo bed. Tonneau covers can also improve the aesthetic appearance of the pick up truck by providing a more streamlined automotive appearance.
Most tonneau covers are releasably clamped to the bed of the pick up truck since it can be necessary on occasion to carry loads in the bed that exceed the height limitations of the tonneau cover. Hard top tonneau covers, while in general providing greater security for cargo and typically being preassembled, can be more easily clamped onto the bed of the pick up truck, but have substantially more weight and bulkiness than soft top tonneau covers. Thus, it typically requires two or more people to install or remove a hard top tonneau cover. Further, since most hard top tonneau covers maintain their full size and shape once removed, significant storage space is needed for the cover during the time it is removed from the pick up truck. Also, the clamps, mounting frame, hinges and hardware of many hard top tonneau covers are completely separable from the cover and must be kept track of when the cover is in storage.
Soft top tonneau covers, on the other hand, are generally lighter in weight, can be stored more compactly during non-use and may be installed and removed by a single person onto and off of the pick up truck. However, because they are typically not preassembled, much greater time is needed: often the frame has to be mounted to the bed of the pick up truck piece by piece and then the fabric covering stretched in place and secured to the frame. Also, soft top tonneau covers often to not allow as convenient access to the bed of the pick up truck once installed since they do not include hinged and spacious openings, as found on many hard top tonneau covers. For example, where a soft cover is unfastened at a corner to give access to the truck bed, one or more of the frame bows or the back rail may still extend across the bed and limit access to the bed. Similarly, many soft top tonneau covers cannot provide the same level of security as hard top tonneau covers since reliable lock and latch mechanisms are not available with the fabric cover structure.
Both types of tonneau covers need to include clamp systems that securely retain the cover to the truck at all vehicle speeds and over sustained periods of vibration and environmental exposure. Previously, various separate C-clamps and permanent rail structures have been used. In general, these have had the disadvantages of being relatively slow to position and properly install, overly intrusive of the cargo bed space (interfering with cargo movement or damaging cargo during loading and unloading, for example), relatively expensive to manufacture, and/or causing penetration of the cargo bed walls. Further, given the diversity of cargo bed construction and wall configurations, it is sometimes necessary to have specific clamps for specific models of pick up trucks. Moreover, some of the prior C-clamps used for tonneau covers have been prone to unstable installation due to mismatched surface configurations between the clamp and the portions of the bed walls to which they were applied.
Also, such C-clamps are typically mounted under the tonneau covers. Thus, with tonneau covers where the top and some or all of the frame can be removed as a single unit, the low clearance height of the cover over the bed can make access to the clamps inconvenient when the clamps are to be applied or released. On the other hand, with tonneau covers where it is necessary to separate the top from the frame in order to remover the tonneau cover from the vehicle, the clamps are more easily accessible once the top is removed, but then the top often has to be stretched or tensioned over the frame and/or additionally aligned and secured in place.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide and improved tonneau cover for the bed of pick up trucks. Other objects include the provision of a tonneau cover that:                a. can be pre-assembled prior to installation and readily mounted to the vehicle as a complete unit,        b. is readily attachable to a variety of different model pick up trucks with a common latching mechanism,        c. is compact in dimension and lightweight when positioned for storage and/or shipment,        d. provides a lockable enclosure for the bed of a pick up truck,        e. includes a secure, quick release clamping system that is not prone to misalignment during use and misplacement during storage and/or shipping,        f. is inexpensive to manufacture and easily installed by a single person,        g. provides amble and easy access to the bed of the pick up truck when needed,        h. maintains its cover configuration over an extended period of time, and        i. minimizes intrusion into the cargo area.        
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by the provision of a soft top tonneau cover formed from a plurality of hinged frame sections that are foldable between overlaying positions and extended positions. Camlock clamps are integrated into the frame so as to provide a stable, quick release latch to the walls of the bed with a minimum of spacial intrusion into the bed. The hinge between the frame sections has a double pivot so as to automatically tension the top when folded open. Strap clamps are integrated into the frame so as to permit the sections to be secured when folded closed.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following drawings and detailed description of preferred embodiments.